uth been
known.

Atom by atom, link by link, has the reasoning chain been forged. Some
links, too quickly and too slightly made, have given way, and been
replaced by better work; but now the great phenomena are known--the
outline is correctly and firmly drawn--cunning artists are filling in the
rest, and the child who masters these Lectures knows more of fire than
Aristotle did.

The candle itself is now made to light up the dark places of nature; the
blowpipe and the prism are adding to our knowledge of the earth's crust;
but the torch must come first.

Among the readers of this book some few may devote themselves to
increasing the stores of knowledge: the Lamp of Science _must_ burn.
"_Alere flammam._"

W. CROOKES.

CONTENTS.

LECTURE I.

A CANDLE: THE FLAME--ITS SOURCES--STRUCTURE--MOBILITY--BRIGHTNESS

LECTURE II.

BRIGHTNESS OF THE FLAME--AIR NECESSARY FOR COMBUSTION--PRODUCTION OF WATER

LECTURE III.

PRODUCTS: WATER FROM THE COMBUSTION--NATURE OF WATER--A COMPOUND--HYDROGEN

LECTURE IV.

HYDROGEN IN THE CANDLE--BURNS INTO WATER--THE OTHER PART OF WATER--OXYGEN

LECTURE V.

OXYGEN PRESENT IN THE AIR--NATURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE--ITS PROPERTIES--OTHER
PRODUCTS FROM THE CANDLE--CARBONIC ACID--ITS PROPERTIES

LECTURE VI.

CARBON OR CHARCOAL--COAL GAS--RESPIRATION AND ITS ANALOGY TO THE BURNING
OP A CANDLE--CONCLUSION

LECTURE ON PLATINUM.

NOTES.

THE CHEMICAL HISTORY OF A CANDLE

LECTURE I.

A CANDLE: THE FLAME--ITS SOURCES--STRUCTURE--MOBILITY--BRIGHTNESS.

I purpose, in return for the honour you do us by coming to see what are
our proceedings here, to bring before you, in the course of these
lectures, the Chemical History of a Candle. I have taken this subject on a
former occasion; and were it left to my own will, I should prefer to
repeat it almost every year--so abundant is the interest that attaches
itself to the subject, so wonderful are the varieties of outlet which it
offers into the various departments of philosophy. There is not a law
under which any part of this universe is governed which does not come into
play, and is touched upon in these phenomena. There is no better, there is
no more open door by which you can enter into the study of natural
philosophy, than by considering the physical phenomena of a candle. I
trust, therefore, I shall not disappoint you in choosing this for my
subject rather than any newer topic, which could not be better,